BETA


2022/0301(NLE) EU/North Macedonia Agreement: operational activities carried out by the European Border and Coast Guard Agency in the Republic of North Macedonia

Progress: Procedure completed

RoleCommitteeRapporteurShadows
Lead LIBE DÜPONT Lena (icon: EPP EPP) NEMEC Matjaž (icon: S&D S&D), KELLER Fabienne (icon: Renew Renew), STRIK Tineke (icon: Verts/ALE Verts/ALE), VISTISEN Anders (icon: ID ID), WIŚNIEWSKA Jadwiga (icon: ECR ECR), REGO Sira (icon: GUE/NGL GUE/NGL)
Committee Opinion AFET
Lead committee dossier:
Legal Basis:
TFEU 077-p2, TFEU 079-p2, TFEU 218-p6a

Events

2023/02/27
   Final act published in Official Journal
2023/02/15
   EP - Results of vote in Parliament
2023/02/15
   EP - Decision by Parliament
Details

The European Parliament adopted by 511 votes to 104, with 20 abstentions, a legislative resolution on the draft Council decision on the conclusion of the Agreement between the European Union and the Republic of North Macedonia on operational activities carried out by the European Border and Coast Guard Agency in the Republic of North Macedonia.

Parliament gave its approval to the conclusion of the agreement.

The Status Agreement will allow for the deployment of European Border and Coast Guard teams in Northern Macedonia by the European Border and Coast Guard Agency, using all possibilities offered by Regulation (EU) 2019/1896. The Agreement was signed on 26 September 2022 in Skopje.

The Status Agreement will not only ensure transparency and accountability of the European Border and Coast Guard Agency’s operational cooperation with third countries, but also in order to support the efforts of the authorities of North Macedonia and to ensure a clear framework for cooperation on the management of its external borders.

The Status Agreement should also ensure the protection of Fundamental Rights and stress the duty of team members to fully respect fundamental rights and freedoms, specifically as regards access to asylum procedures, human dignity and the prohibition of torture, inhuman or degrading treatment, the right to liberty, the principle of non-refoulement and the prohibition of collective expulsions, the rights of the child and the right to respect for private and family life within the scope of the agreement.

Documents
2023/02/08
   EP - Committee report tabled for plenary, 1st reading/single reading
Documents
2023/02/08
   EP - Committee report tabled for plenary, 1st reading/single reading
Documents
2023/02/06
   EP - Vote in committee
2023/02/02
   EP - Amendments tabled in committee
Documents
2023/02/02
   EC - Document attached to the procedure
Documents
2023/01/18
   EP - Committee draft report
Documents
2022/12/08
   EP/CSL - Act adopted by Council after consultation of Parliament
2022/11/30
   EP - DÜPONT Lena (EPP) appointed as rapporteur in LIBE
2022/11/09
   EP - Committee referral announced in Parliament
2022/11/03
   EC - Legislative proposal published
Details

PURPOSE: to conclude the Agreement between the European Union and the Republic of North Macedonia on the operational activities carried out by the European Border and Coast Guard Agency in the Republic of North Macedonia.

PROPOSED ACT: Council Decision.

ROLE OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT: Council may adopt the act only if Parliament has given its consent to the act.

BACKGROUND: Regulation (EU) 2019/1896 of the European Parliament and of the Council stipulates that in circumstances requiring the deployment of border management teams from the standing corps of the European Border and Coast Guard to a third country where the members of the teams will exercise executive powers, a status agreement is to be concluded by the Union with the third country concerned on the basis of Article 218 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union.

The Agreement should be approved.

CONTENT: the purpose of the proposal for a Council Decision is to approve, on behalf of the Union, the Agreement between the EU and Northern Macedonia on operational activities carried out by the European Border and Coast Guard Agency in Northern Macedonia.

The status agreement will allow for the deployment in North Macedonia of European Border and Coast Guard teams by the European Border and Coast Guard Agency, using all the possibilities offered by Regulation (EU) 2019/1896.

Ireland is not taking part in the adoption of this Decision and is not bound by it or subject to its application.

Denmark is not taking part in the adoption of this Decision and is not bound by it or subject to its application. Denmark shall decide within a period of six months after the Council has decided on this Decision whether it will implement it in its national law.

Documents
2022/09/23
   EC - Document attached to the procedure
2022/09/23
   EP - Preparatory document
Details

PURPOSE: to conclude, on behalf of the Union, of the Agreement between the European Union and the Republic of North Macedonia on operational activities carried out by the European Border and Coast Guard Agency in the Republic of North Macedonia.

PROPOSED ACT: Council Decision.

ROLE OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT: Council may adopt the act only if Parliament has given its consent to the act.

BACKGROUND: one of the tasks of the European Border and Coast Guard Agency is to cooperate with third countries in relation to the areas covered by the European Border and Coast Guard Regulation (Regulation (EU) 2019/1896) including through the possible operational deployment of border management teams in third countries. Specifically, the Agency, as part of the European Border and Coast Guard, is to ensure European integrated border management, one component of which is cooperation with third countries in the areas covered by the European Border and Coast Guard Regulation focusing in particular on neighbouring third countries and countries of origin or transit for irregular migration. The Agency may cooperate with the authorities of third countries competent in matters covered by the Regulation to the extent required for the fulfilment of its tasks and may carry out actions related to European integrated border management on the territory of a third country subject to the agreement of that third country.

Pursuant to Article 73(3) of Regulation (EU) 2019/1896 on the European Border and Coast Guard, in circumstances requiring the deployment of border management teams from the standing corps of the European Border and Coast Guard to a third country where the members of the teams will exercise executive powers, a status agreement is to be concluded by the Union with the third country.

On 29 July 2022, the Commission received the Council authorisation to open negotiations with North Macedonia for an agreement on operational activities to be carried out by the European Border and Coast Guard Agency in North Macedonia.

The European Commission, on behalf of the European Union, and North Macedonia held negotiations on the agreement on 25 August 2022. The Commission considers that the objectives set by the Council in its negotiating directives were attained and that the agreement is acceptable for the Union.

CONTENT: therefore, the Commission proposal seeks to conclude, on behalf of the EU, the Agreement between the EU and North Macedonia on operational activities carried out by the European Border and Coast Guard Agency in North Macedonia . Reinforcing controls along the borders of North Macedonia will positively impact the management of the Union’s external borders as well as the borders of North Macedonia itself.

The status agreement will allow for the deployment in North Macedonia of European Border and Coast Guard teams by the European Border and Coast Guard Agency, using all the possibilities offered by Regulation (EU) 2019/1896. Without such a tool, only bilateral deployments by Member States can be used to develop and implement European integrated border management and support North Macedonia in managing a significant number of migrants seeking to transit its territory. A common approach is therefore needed to better manage the borders of North Macedonia.

The conclusion of a status agreement would tie into the wider objectives and priorities for cooperation as set out in the European Union’s Stabilisation and Association Agreement with North Macedonia. It should also support the wider efforts and commitments of the European Union to further develop capabilities in order to contribute to crisis response management and promoting convergence on foreign and security matters between the Union and North Macedonia.

Documents

Votes

Accord UE/Macédoine du Nord: activités opérationnelles menées par l'Agence européenne de garde-frontières et de garde-côtes en République de Macédoine du Nord - EU/North Macedonia Agreement: operational activities carried out by the European Border and Coast Guard Agency in the Republic of North Macedonia - Vereinbarung EU-Nordmazedonien über operative Tätigkeiten, die von der Europäischen Agentur für die Grenz- und Küstenwache in der Republik Nordmazedonien durchgeführt werden - A9-0027/2023 - Lena Düpont - Projet de décision du Conseil #

2023/02/15 Outcome: +: 511, -: 104, 0: 20
IT PL ES FR RO DE HU NL SE AT HR BG SK CZ BE PT DK SI EE FI LT EL LV MT LU IE CY
Total
66
50
56
74
28
88
15
24
20
19
12
14
13
17
17
19
14
8
7
14
8
17
7
4
6
12
6
icon: PPE PPE
162

Denmark PPE

For (1)

1

Estonia PPE

For (1)

1

Malta PPE

For (1)

1

Luxembourg PPE

2

Cyprus PPE

2
icon: S&D S&D
130

Belgium S&D

1

Slovenia S&D

2

Estonia S&D

2

Lithuania S&D

2

Greece S&D

1

Latvia S&D

2

Luxembourg S&D

For (1)

1

Cyprus S&D

2
icon: Renew Renew
94

Poland Renew

1

Hungary Renew

For (1)

1
3

Austria Renew

For (1)

1

Croatia Renew

For (1)

1

Bulgaria Renew

2

Slovenia Renew

2

Estonia Renew

3

Finland Renew

3

Lithuania Renew

1

Greece Renew

1

Latvia Renew

For (1)

1

Luxembourg Renew

2

Ireland Renew

2
icon: ID ID
58
3

Czechia ID

2

Denmark ID

For (1)

1

Estonia ID

For (1)

1

Finland ID

2
icon: ECR ECR
57

Germany ECR

1

Croatia ECR

1

Bulgaria ECR

1

Slovakia ECR

For (1)

1

Belgium ECR

2

Greece ECR

Against (1)

1
icon: NI NI
32

Germany NI

For (1)

Against (1)

2

Netherlands NI

Against (1)

1

Slovakia NI

2

Lithuania NI

1

Latvia NI

Against (1)

1
icon: The Left The Left
34

Netherlands The Left

Against (1)

1

Czechia The Left

1

Belgium The Left

Against (1)

1

Denmark The Left

Against (1)

1

Finland The Left

Against (1)

1

Ireland The Left

3

Cyprus The Left

2
icon: Verts/ALE Verts/ALE
68

Italy Verts/ALE

2

Poland Verts/ALE

Against (1)

1

Netherlands Verts/ALE

3

Sweden Verts/ALE

3

Austria Verts/ALE

3

Czechia Verts/ALE

3

Belgium Verts/ALE

3

Portugal Verts/ALE

Against (1)

1

Denmark Verts/ALE

2

Finland Verts/ALE

3

Lithuania Verts/ALE

Against (1)

1

Luxembourg Verts/ALE

Against (1)

1

Ireland Verts/ALE

2
AmendmentsDossier
1 2022/0301(NLE)
2023/02/02 LIBE 1 amendments...
source: 742.307

History

(these mark the time of scraping, not the official date of the change)

events/6
date
2023-02-15T00:00:00
type
Results of vote in Parliament
body
EP
docs
url: https://oeil.secure.europarl.europa.eu/oeil/popups/sda.do?id=59418&l=en title: Results of vote in Parliament
events/3
date
2022-12-08T00:00:00
type
Act adopted by Council after consultation of Parliament
body
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docs/5
date
2023-02-15T00:00:00
docs
url: https://www.europarl.europa.eu/doceo/document/TA-9-2023-0041_EN.html title: T9-0041/2023
type
Text adopted by Parliament, 1st reading/single reading
body
EP
events/5/summary
  • The European Parliament adopted by 511 votes to 104, with 20 abstentions, a legislative resolution on the draft Council decision on the conclusion of the Agreement between the European Union and the Republic of North Macedonia on operational activities carried out by the European Border and Coast Guard Agency in the Republic of North Macedonia.
  • Parliament gave its approval to the conclusion of the agreement.
  • The Status Agreement will allow for the deployment of European Border and Coast Guard teams in Northern Macedonia by the European Border and Coast Guard Agency, using all possibilities offered by Regulation (EU) 2019/1896. The Agreement was signed on 26 September 2022 in Skopje.
  • The Status Agreement will not only ensure transparency and accountability of the European Border and Coast Guard Agency’s operational cooperation with third countries, but also in order to support the efforts of the authorities of North Macedonia and to ensure a clear framework for cooperation on the management of its external borders.
  • The Status Agreement should also ensure the protection of Fundamental Rights and stress the duty of team members to fully respect fundamental rights and freedoms, specifically as regards access to asylum procedures, human dignity and the prohibition of torture, inhuman or degrading treatment, the right to liberty, the principle of non-refoulement and the prohibition of collective expulsions, the rights of the child and the right to respect for private and family life within the scope of the agreement.
events/6
date
2023-02-27T00:00:00
type
Final act published in Official Journal
docs
procedure/final
title
Decision 2023/418
url
https://eur-lex.europa.eu/smartapi/cgi/sga_doc?smartapi!celexplus!prod!CELEXnumdoc&lg=EN&numdoc=32023D0418
docs/5
date
2023-02-15T00:00:00
docs
url: https://www.europarl.europa.eu/doceo/document/TA-9-2023-0041_EN.html title: T9-0041/2023
type
Text adopted by Parliament, 1st reading/single reading
body
EP
events/5
date
2023-02-15T00:00:00
type
Decision by Parliament
body
EP
docs
url: https://www.europarl.europa.eu/doceo/document/TA-9-2023-0041_EN.html title: T9-0041/2023
forecasts
  • date: 2023-02-15T00:00:00 title: Vote in plenary scheduled
procedure/stage_reached
Old
Awaiting Parliament's vote
New
Awaiting final decision
docs/4
date
2023-02-08T00:00:00
docs
url: https://www.europarl.europa.eu/doceo/document/A-9-2023-0027_EN.html title: A9-0027/2023
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New
Awaiting Parliament's vote
events/3
date
2023-02-06T00:00:00
type
Vote in committee
body
EP
forecasts/0
date
2023-02-15T00:00:00
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Vote in plenary scheduled
forecasts/0
date
2023-02-13T00:00:00
title
Indicative plenary sitting date
docs/2/docs/0/url
https://www.europarl.europa.eu/doceo/document/LIBE-AM-742307_EN.html
docs/2
date
2023-02-02T00:00:00
docs
title: PE742.307
type
Amendments tabled in committee
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2023-02-02T00:00:00
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name
VISTISEN Anders
group
Identity and Democracy
abbr
ID
docs/1
date
2023-01-18T00:00:00
docs
url: https://www.europarl.europa.eu/doceo/document/LIBE-PR-740734_EN.html title: PE740.734
type
Committee draft report
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  • date: 2023-02-13T00:00:00 title: Indicative plenary sitting date
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  • name: NEMEC Matjaž group: Group of Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats abbr: S&D
  • name: KELLER Fabienne group: Renew Europe group abbr: Renew
  • name: STRIK Tineke group: Group of the Greens/European Free Alliance abbr: Verts/ALE
  • name: WIŚNIEWSKA Jadwiga group: European Conservatives and Reformists Group abbr: ECR
  • name: REGO Sira group: The Left group in the European Parliament - GUE/NGL abbr: GUE/NGL
forecasts
  • date: 2023-02-01T00:00:00 title: Indicative plenary sitting date
committees/0/rapporteur
  • name: DÜPONT Lena date: 2022-11-30T00:00:00 group: Group of European People's Party abbr: EPP
forecasts
  • date: 2023-02-01T00:00:00 title: Indicative plenary sitting date
docs/1
date
2022-11-03T00:00:00
docs
title: 12895/2022
type
Legislative proposal
body
CSL
events/1/summary
  • PURPOSE: to conclude the Agreement between the European Union and the Republic of North Macedonia on the operational activities carried out by the European Border and Coast Guard Agency in the Republic of North Macedonia.
  • PROPOSED ACT: Council Decision.
  • ROLE OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT: Council may adopt the act only if Parliament has given its consent to the act.
  • BACKGROUND: Regulation (EU) 2019/1896 of the European Parliament and of the Council stipulates that in circumstances requiring the deployment of border management teams from the standing corps of the European Border and Coast Guard to a third country where the members of the teams will exercise executive powers, a status agreement is to be concluded by the Union with the third country concerned on the basis of Article 218 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union.
  • The Agreement should be approved.
  • CONTENT: the purpose of the proposal for a Council Decision is to approve, on behalf of the Union, the Agreement between the EU and Northern Macedonia on operational activities carried out by the European Border and Coast Guard Agency in Northern Macedonia.
  • The status agreement will allow for the deployment in North Macedonia of European Border and Coast Guard teams by the European Border and Coast Guard Agency, using all the possibilities offered by Regulation (EU) 2019/1896.
  • Ireland is not taking part in the adoption of this Decision and is not bound by it or subject to its application.
  • Denmark is not taking part in the adoption of this Decision and is not bound by it or subject to its application. Denmark shall decide within a period of six months after the Council has decided on this Decision whether it will implement it in its national law.
events/2
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2022-11-09T00:00:00
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  • LIBE/9/10171
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title: 12895/2022
type
Legislative proposal
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date
2022-11-03T00:00:00
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Legislative proposal published
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title: 12895/2022
docs/1
date
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Preparatory document
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events/0/summary
  • PURPOSE: to conclude, on behalf of the Union, of the Agreement between the European Union and the Republic of North Macedonia on operational activities carried out by the European Border and Coast Guard Agency in the Republic of North Macedonia.
  • PROPOSED ACT: Council Decision.
  • ROLE OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT: Council may adopt the act only if Parliament has given its consent to the act.
  • BACKGROUND: one of the tasks of the European Border and Coast Guard Agency is to cooperate with third countries in relation to the areas covered by the European Border and Coast Guard Regulation (Regulation (EU) 2019/1896) including through the possible operational deployment of border management teams in third countries. Specifically, the Agency, as part of the European Border and Coast Guard, is to ensure European integrated border management, one component of which is cooperation with third countries in the areas covered by the European Border and Coast Guard Regulation focusing in particular on neighbouring third countries and countries of origin or transit for irregular migration. The Agency may cooperate with the authorities of third countries competent in matters covered by the Regulation to the extent required for the fulfilment of its tasks and may carry out actions related to European integrated border management on the territory of a third country subject to the agreement of that third country.
  • Pursuant to Article 73(3) of Regulation (EU) 2019/1896 on the European Border and Coast Guard, in circumstances requiring the deployment of border management teams from the standing corps of the European Border and Coast Guard to a third country where the members of the teams will exercise executive powers, a status agreement is to be concluded by the Union with the third country.
  • On 29 July 2022, the Commission received the Council authorisation to open negotiations with North Macedonia for an agreement on operational activities to be carried out by the European Border and Coast Guard Agency in North Macedonia.
  • The European Commission, on behalf of the European Union, and North Macedonia held negotiations on the agreement on 25 August 2022. The Commission considers that the objectives set by the Council in its negotiating directives were attained and that the agreement is acceptable for the Union.
  • CONTENT: therefore, the Commission proposal seeks to conclude, on behalf of the EU, the Agreement between the EU and North Macedonia on operational activities carried out by the European Border and Coast Guard Agency in North Macedonia . Reinforcing controls along the borders of North Macedonia will positively impact the management of the Union’s external borders as well as the borders of North Macedonia itself.
  • The status agreement will allow for the deployment in North Macedonia of European Border and Coast Guard teams by the European Border and Coast Guard Agency, using all the possibilities offered by Regulation (EU) 2019/1896. Without such a tool, only bilateral deployments by Member States can be used to develop and implement European integrated border management and support North Macedonia in managing a significant number of migrants seeking to transit its territory. A common approach is therefore needed to better manage the borders of North Macedonia.
  • The conclusion of a status agreement would tie into the wider objectives and priorities for cooperation as set out in the European Union’s Stabilisation and Association Agreement with North Macedonia. It should also support the wider efforts and commitments of the European Union to further develop capabilities in order to contribute to crisis response management and promoting convergence on foreign and security matters between the Union and North Macedonia.